Still available on Amazon for Nook and Kindle, hard copy booklett to re-print November 2013

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Gypsies in the waiting room!, Who stole dinner?

We had the Gypsy King in our ICU unit for several weeks and his family "LIVED" in the waiting room. It became a challenge to keep the candles brought in by his "family" away from the oxygen lines. He listed approximately 30 close relatives.

I was working the night shift and in this hospital the cafeteria closed after 8pm. So, the nursing supervisor would get out some left overs and heat a large pot of soup or stew for the night staff and one person from each unit would go down, get a tray and load it with bowls of steaming soup and crackers for all who were working that night. It was set out usually around 2 or 3 AM and was something we all looked forward to as a break in the monotonous long night shift.

For several days when I went down to get food for my staff I found the table picked clean. It didn't take long to figure out who was hogging all the food. The gypsy family was seen with pockets full and munching on crackers and soup while the nursing staff went hungry. Their philosophy, "what's yours is mine, what's mine is mine" seemed to rule the day.

To solve the problem a code was devised and changed each day. The time the food was set out also changed. We picked up the code word from staffing office and when the overhead rang out with...Dr. Chow to surgery...Dr. Burger needed stat in ER....or, Dr. Stewman report to x-ray, we would then sprint to beat the "family" to the cafeteria who lingered near the door all night. And finally the door had to be locked and the supervisor guarded the entrance so the staff would have something to eat!

About Me

I'm a wife of 45 years, mother of 5, grandmother of 16. I've been a writer all my life and began directing plays in the second grade. I've written, and directed numerous community productions many under the name "The Santa Clarita Valley Light Opera Company". While my children were young I set aside many of my interests and now that most have left the nest I can get back to writing. I've finally completed my first novel, and I must say it's almost like giving birth, except it took more than 9 months. I'm now working to have my novel published which I've found is much like casting a play...too tall, too short, not enough experience...HEY how about Life? When my children were still at home I was elected four times to the Governing Board of The Hart High School District of 25,000 students. In 16 years I helped build 5 schools, hired 3 Superintendents and maintained fiscal solvency by working with teachers, parents and created a foundation to acquire building sites. I've taught nursing for 20 years and have been an RN for over 40. I Currently teach Pharmacolocy, and Maternal-Child Health at UCLA Olive View for COC, all the time typing away hoping to be noticed by a publisher.